According to a letter addressed to Senate Judiciary Chairman Chuck Grassley, Brett Kavanaugh’s accuser, Dr. Christine Blasey Ford, is requesting a full FBI investigation into Kavanaugh prior to testifying before the committee.

This in itself raises the stakes, but now, a former classmate has come forward, claiming she recalls the accusations once being discussed at their school, raising them even higher.

In a Facebook post that has since been deleted, Cristina King Miranda stated that “Christine Blasey Ford was a year or so behind me. I did not know her personally but I remember her.”

“This incident did happen. Many of us heard a buzz about it indirectly with few specific details. However Christine’s vivid recollection should be more than enough for us to truly, deeply know that the accusation is true,” she added.

Even though Miranda didn’t personally witness the incident in question, her statement on the matter suggests people within the school were talking about it around the time it happened. This means that Ford was either telling others about the incident, or perhaps someone else attended the party saw what happened and managed to get the word around.

Either way, this suggests that there is some substance to story, and that Ford isn’t fabricating it now decades after the fact.

In other words, this is a very big deal from a legal standpoint. Should the FBI hear Ford’s request and begin an investigation, Miranda has already established herself as a key witness worth speaking to.